Shot Oheka Castle Owner, Gary Melius, Speaks Out

UPDATED | The owner of Suffolk County’s Oheka Castle, who was shot by a masked assailant in February, spoke about the incident for the first time Monday.

In a video produced by his family, Gary Melius said he was now “healing” and “looking forward to starting over again.”

Mr. Melius was ambushed in the castle’s parking lot and shot at three times through the window of his Mercedes-Benz on February 24.

One bullet misfired while another struck the 69-year-old businessman in the head. He underwent surgery and was released from North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset on March 4. There have been no arrests.

Mr. Melius appeared in the video with a medical shield over his left eye and a bandage on the left side of his skull. He said he couldn’t explain how he lived through the attack.

“I got a break. I guess God looked out for me, he’s always looked out for me,” Mr. Melius said.

Appearing in good spirits, he paid tribute to his “super supportive” family and joked that he had shed a few pounds while in the hospital.

“The good part is I lost some weight, which I needed,” he said. “My family has bathed me, nursed me, supported me. There is nothing that they haven’t done for me.

Gary Melius in 1984

Joan Cergol

“Everybody has just been wonderful and I just want everybody to know, mainly just for my friends to know, everything is OK.”

Describing his 2½ weeks in hospital, Mr. Melius said he was lucid during the experience and at times “broke down” upon seeing the waves of support from friends.

Mr. Melius owns and lives in Oheka Castle, which serves as a hotel and event space that seen celebrity weddings. Former U.S. Rep.Anthony Weinerwas married his wife there, with former President Bill Clinton officiating.

Mr. Melius is also a political donor to all parties and holds regular poker nights with businessmen, law-enforcement officials and politicians at his home.

Despite the incident, Mr. Melius said Oheka remained “alive and well” in his absence and he was now doing anything possible to keep busy and bring a sense of normalcy back to his life.

“I definitely need to do something. I’m torturing myself. I’m putting the garbage out, I do everything I can, but it’s tough,” he said.

Suffolk County investigators have security camera footage showing a gunman and getaway driver surveilling the parking lot for 2½ hours before firing at Mr. Melius.

“Since this crime is an active ongoing investigation the Suffolk County Police Department will not be making any further comments at this time unless we have some additional information pertaining to the investigation that serves the investigation by its release,” a spokeswoman said.

For more than a decade, Oheka Castle has been the scene of an eight-man poker game on Monday nights. The regular crew includes a former U.S. senator, a local Democratic Party lawyer and a host of power brokers from Long Island’s political and real-estate worlds.

Some Fridays are steak-and-cigar night, a sought-after invite bringing together politicians and police officials from Suffolk and Nassau counties.

The gatherings are made possible by the connections of the castle’s owner, Gary Melius, who was shot in the head Monday in the castle’s parking lot by a masked gunman who police said staked out his victim for 21/2 hours. He is expected to survive. There have been no arrests.

The shooting jolted Mr. Melius and his wife and four children. It also left people questioning who sought to hurt a man who friends, business associates, records—and even adversaries—describe as blunt, tenacious, willing to take risks for a grand vision, a New York success story complete with impressive highlights and significant low points.